May 17, 2012
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My first year of law school, I flunked a class. Contracts I. I just didn’t get it. And when your entire grade rides on one test for the entire semester and you don’t get it? You flunk the class. I still remember walking down the hall to see the grades for my number. Each student [...]
May 17, 2012
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This post is written by contributing author Shelly Kerry.
Last month I
asked you to spend some time thinking about what really inspires and motivates you. One big source of inspiration for me is you! Learning about you, what makes
you tick and what are your challenges helps me grow professionally and personally.
Personal connections and a little vulnerability also reminds me that we are not
alone. Remembering that I have a community that supports me gives me strength I
never knew I had.
I spent time
last month really reflecting on motivation too and I remembered what also pushes
me forward is a love for change and new opportunities and working through my
personal fears. The last few years have definitely been full of changes that
have been out of my control. However, recently I have been able to create some
of my own – a new home and new job and it feels good to have some glimmer of
control over my life. And of course with these two big changes comes fear. As
much as the new motivates me, fear is inevitable. I despise fear. I dislike
being afraid of meeting new people and what they may think. I highly dislike
disappointing others. I really, really dislike physically not being able to
conquer something and missing awesome opportunities because I didn’t try.Photo by SweetOnVeg
I have a natural desire to always push myself
and become a stronger and better person. I am grateful for some fear that keeps
me safe walking in a big city and I carefully choose what fun adventurous
things to do. However, what helps me conquer fear is connecting with others. I prefer
to surround myself with friends who can be vulnerable, don’t always blindly think
things will always work out and refuse to be prepared and can and like to
openly discuss their fears. I like
optimistic people but have trouble connecting with others that are afraid to
show their vulnerable side. I think they are missing out on learning a lot
about themselves and their friends. Connections with other people are
priceless.
As with
anything, pushing through fear can be easier if you take time to really be
prepared. If you signed up for your first half marathon but never ran more than
3 miles, you would follow a training program right? Not only would that
training help you physically but the confidence shaped during the training
process would make the days before the race exciting instead of terrifying.
Is there
someone in your life right now that you are having trouble connecting with? Do
both of your egos get in the way? Try to think of ways that you might be able
to be a little more vulnerable and see if you can foster new ways of
connecting. What are some things that cause you great fear? Can you see some
ways that this fear could push you forward instead of holding you back?
Shelly Kerry is co-owner of Lightbox SF. She is an artist, designer, and motivator. Since 2006 she has been working to build her own jewelry design business, em’s studio, and she wants to share all she’s learned.
Shelly knows that building your own art or craft business can often feel
lonely and overwhelming. She also understands how much of a struggle it
is to balance a “day job” with a budding creative business. Read more about her here. Connect to Shelly via twitter or facebook.
Kanelstrand Blog | Twitter | G+
May 16, 2012
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I grew up in the shadow of my amazing mom. I was told that I looked like her at a very young age and that still continues. Plus we must sound exactly the same, because if I answered a call that was really for her, the person would talk to me until I made [...]
May 16, 2012
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Is your stuff stressing you out? A crowded, cluttered home increases anxiety and makes it difficult to concentrate on ordinary tasks. Make a clean sweep of your home to cut clutter and reduce stress. Get...Read the full story »
May 16, 2012
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Time spent outside – digging in the soil, nurturing life, feeling the warmth of the sun, and contemplating permaculture and its role as a solution to many of the world’s ills – with Blake’s poetry resonating all the more. Spring … Continue reading →Heaven In A Wild Flower is a copyrighted post from: Almost All The Truth - Exploring how to improve and protect the health of our children and their world through living, learning, and parenting…
Come join the conversation (I love your comments!) on Almost All The Truth, and connect further on Facebook, and twitter!
May 16, 2012
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I’m not kidding; my bucket list has been kicked to the side. I’ve accomplished all my life goals. I’ll give you guys some more details about our fantastic day later, but I wanted to quickly tell you to tune into the show I attended on Memorial Day. I was seated next to my mama on [...]
May 15, 2012
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(source) Oh, Stuart Smalley. You were onto something, brother. Twice I tried writing a long post about this stuff, but …Continue reading »
May 15, 2012
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A few years ago I read Gretchen Rubin’s bestselling book, The Happiness Project. I took away many *things* from that book, namely: Happiness is what you make it. Instant gratification can cause long term unhappiness. (I talked about it here before.) The notion of of whether you’re an abstainer or a moderator. In a nutshell, [...]
May 14, 2012
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In the June 2012 issue of Whole Living there is a wonderful article about self-discovery entitled Morning Awakening by Phillip Moffitt and it really struck a chord within me. The article beings with a beautiful...Read the full story »
May 14, 2012
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Time Magazine A controversial Time Magazine cover shot went viral last week. It was a photograph of a woman standing up breastfeeding her three year old son (who was standing on a small chair in order to reach his mother’s...continue reading this post →
